In Noir It's All About the Facades

Nothing is what is seems. That's the premise of every single Noir story. 

The characters - they're full of secrets, lies, past lives, multiple identities, mysterious backgrounds and dubious professions. The one thing they all share is that there's a duplicity that holds them together - it's what keeps so many of them alive. Ultimately, it's all about the facade - that thick or thin layer that the public gets to see - a veil behind which our favorite characters do their business and live their lives.

While not a traditional Noir, Martin Scorsese's take on The Departed offers perfect example of this. Matt Damon's Colin Sullivan is both police agent and crime son, chasing his own tail. Leonardo DiCaprio's Billy is both cop and acting criminal, chasing Sullivan. Vera Farmiga's Madolyn, the cop psychiatrist, sleeps with both of them. And Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello is the big mob boss who it turns out is also the FBI informant. In the end almost everyone dies. The title of the film tells you that, from the very beginning.

In Cleveland City, the theme is The Facade. And just like in the 60s and 70s the gothic century buildings of C-Town were covered up by ugly black glass plates to make them look modern (and to hide secrets), the characters of my story all wear their masks.

Officer Dusan gave up the love of his life for the bottle only to, decades later, confront the woman for whom he should have fought harder.

Esti wears the stoic high society matriarch role like it's there's an Oscar depending on it, only to understand that the pain she's buried will no longer sit dormant.

Esti's oldest son Jacob carries the Jewish real estate heir responsibility with the uniform of professionalism, never once letting on that he's the Porn King of America.

Sean admires his Uncle Patrick as the Irish Mob boss who is in control of his power and his family, but unlike his Uncle, Sean can't control his sexual impulses, jeopardizing everything he's ever worked for.

Marianne is the uneducated waitress who hustles for every single dollar that she earns, and while single and alone and without family can never build one of her own - she simply can't let go of the one man who has damaged her forever.

And Colleen is the young and dutiful Irish Catholic wife and mother who one day realizes that she's always had the power within her, and the training to act on it.

These are my characters. This is Cleveland City.


The Departed image: IMDb.com


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